


Charisma

by Tarlan



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Community: trope_bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 05:42:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8433931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: In a world of magic, Tony seems to have the least power but Gibbs has never seemed to care as the team got results.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For **Trope Bingo** Round 7: au: fantasy

Tony wiggled his fingers, trying to excite the molecules in the cold coffee on his desk but no matter how hard he concentrated he couldn't raise the temperature by more than a few degrees, which was still too cold and hence undrinkable. He was so intent on his task that he didn't hear Gibbs come up behind him, only aware of his presence when he felt a hand slap the back of his head.

"Where's my update?" Gibbs asked.

"Sorry, boss. We haven't found anything to link McAllister to the murder."

"Then keep looking," Gibbs demanded, grabbing a folder off his desk before heading back towards MTAC, but he leaned over as he was passing Tony's desk, touching a single finger to the outside of the coffee mug and Tony watched as the liquid began to boil.

"How does he do that?" Tony asked once he was convinced Gibbs was out of earshot.

McGee shrugged. "We all have our gifts, Tony."

"Yeah, Mr. McTwinkleFingers," he replied, referring to McGee's ability to work his magic with technology such as computers. 

McGee was able to get right inside the machine and rewrite its code if necessary, often finding data that should have been irretrievable. Abby had a similar ability though it extended beyond machines, while Ducky and Palmer preferred to work with bodies rather than cold technology.

Gibbs was like an old fashioned warlock, able to cast spells and see into the darkness of others. He called it his gut feelings because Gibbs was a raw power, with no formal training beyond his time as a Probie before taking over as team leader many years ago. Gibbs knew his limitations and he had surrounded himself with people who brought different magic skills to the team, and that was why Tony had always felt a little self-conscious of his own limited abilities. Of course he had hid it well, bluffing it out so he appeared confident, perhaps even brash or arrogant, and resorting to good old fashioned detective work if necessary.

Over the years Gibbs had never called him out over his lesser abilities because the team got results.

If Tony had a skill at all it was his ability to read surface thoughts and use the knowledge gained to make others feel comfortable in his presence. Charisma. He used it when interviewing witnesses at a scene, or for extracting information from colleagues, friends, and loved ones of the victim or suspect. On a personal level, he'd never had any problems picking up a partner for a little between-the-sheets fun, male or female, but the longer he knew them the less glamored they were in his presence. Admittedly, Tony had felt a little guilty about this innate skill until Gibbs pointed out he couldn't coerce anyone into doing anything they hadn't already wanted to do, and some, like Gibbs, were not susceptible to him at all. Tony's pick-ups tended to be potential bed partners who were already eyeing him hungrily. Still, he had yet to find anyone who hadn't tired of him within a few weeks. The closest he had come was with Ziva, but even she had left him, citing personal reasons before moving back to Israel. 

She'd left him with cryptic remarks and strange over-the-shoulder glances, saying she wasn't the one he needed or wanted. She implied there was someone else here for him, if he'd only open his eyes and take a good look around.

Tony wished she hadn't closed off even her surface thoughts from him as then he might have had a better clue, because the one office romance he'd started hadn't turned out so well after he discovered she was into blood magic. Ducky had threatened to tell Gibbs if he had to cast one more healing spell over Tony for cuts that were not gained in the line of duty, so he broke it off. He wasn't afraid of Gibbs. He just didn't want to disappoint him.

Tony hadn't had anyone since then, and it was the longest dry spell of his life.

Putting aside those morbid thoughts he concentrated on the latest case knowing all they needed was one more piece of evidence to crack it wide open.

An hour later Tony had managed to work his charm into gaining some information from a Chief Petty Officer who had been working with McAllister just hours before the murder. It left McAllister's alibi in tatters, and Tony knew that was all Gibb's needed to call McAllister in for an 'interview'. 

Tony sensed Gibbs approaching this time, smiling confidently as he turned and swept to the team's large display monitor, using his lesser magical ability to conjure up the information for Gibbs to see.

"Good job, DiNozzzo," Gibbs praised once he had everything he needed, and soon after Tony watched from behind the one-way glass as Gibbs extract a confession from McAllister - magic unnecessary in this case.

"You think you know me; what I'm capable of," McAllister growled.

Suddenly McAllister became ghost-like before their eyes, wrists slipping from the restraints like his body was made of fog. It happened so fast Gibbs had no time to react before McAllister was solid again, pinning Gibbs to the wall by the throat. Tony reacted instinctively, throwing up his arms and pushing with all his mind. McAllister was thrown across the interview room and pinned to the wall by the force of Tony's will just for a second before security arrived and fully dampened the Magic field around McAllister.

Tony sank to the floor, shaken and confused, barely aware of his surroundings until he recognized the warmth of another person seated next to him. He turned his head and found Gibbs beside him, patiently waiting, and one look into his eyes had all his feelings for Gibbs flooding out. Ziva's glances over her shoulder had been towards Gibbs rather than to EJ, and he could have smacked his own head against a wall for not realizing it earlier.

"You ready to finish this?" Gibbs asked, voice a little husky, and Tony was confused for a moment until he remembered they had a ton of paperwork, including figuring out how to explain Tony's newly revealed power.

Later, as the last of the team slipped away, Tony stared forlornly at his cold coffee once more, still unable to raise the temperature by even a few pathetic degrees, though he could mentally push the entire mug across his desk now. Gibbs reached across the desk and touched the mug once more, but this time the coffee froze.

"Come on. I have decent coffee at home," Gibbs stated.

"Home?"

Gibbs simply gave him 'that' look and all the rest fell into place.

Later, as he stretched out in Gibbs surprisingly comfortable bed he had to ask, "Why now?"

"Because I got tired of waiting for you to get a clue."

"Eh, what clue was that?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes affectionately. "I'm the only one you could never charm, DiNozzo, and I'm still here."

Weirdly, that made a hell of a lot of sense.

END  
 


End file.
